Mexican government wants 33% of electricity capacity to come from renewable sources by 2018

May 20, 2014 - Conor Ryan - pv-tech.org

Mexico has the means to generate more than 18,000GW/h per year from solar, geothermal and other energy sources. Image: SPG Solar.

The Mexican government has set lofty goals for the future, as energy secretary Pedro Joaquin Coldwell announced that the current administration wants 33% of the country’s installed electricity capacity to come from renewable sources by 2018.

Speaking at an energy conference in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Coldwell said: “We are proposing to expand the role of renewable energy to 33 percent of installed capacity by 2018.”

According to the energy secretary, Mexico has the means to generate more than 18,000GW/h per year from solar, geothermal, minihydraulic, wind, and bioenergy sources. Coldwell added that certain legislation, which would make it easier to work in the electricity generation market, must be approved by the Mexican Congress. Government officials are expected to debate this legislation in the coming weeks.

If approved, this legislation would make it easier for “both large companies with cutting-edge technology and those who want to put a solar panel on the roof of their house to do so, to acquire a solar heater or to lease a part of their land for wind generation,” Coldwell said.

Currently, Mexico only gets 17% of its energy from renewable sources, while over 80% comes from fossil fuels.